Plague Z
by FunnyPicJLMS
Summary: An infection has spread throughout the United States, already making it's way to Europe and Asia. The dead are walking again, and the Justice League needs to put a stop to it, but how can they do that when even they are on the run?


**A/N: Do any of you guys know the song Short Change Hero by The Heavy? It's pretty good. The beginning is all slow and intense and then it really picks up. Okay, I'm done. This story is abit of an experiment for me. It is the product of late nights, stupid bets, and whole lot of vodka. Stay away from alcohol kids, it'll mess you up. **

**Enjoy. **

Chapter 1

The lights in the hall flickered, threatening to shut off any moment now. Blood and bodies stained the floor of the school, along with a sickly white fluid dripping down the walls. Faint footsteps echoed throughout the corridor, the sound getting stronger with each passing minute, and making Sarah even more terrified.

She was currently hidden in the janitor's closet, trying to quiet her heavy breathing and pounding heart. Those things, those…creatures, had very acute senses. She had no doubt that when they were close enough, they would hear her beating heart, fluttering wildly with absolute fear and terror.

_Oh, God, someone help me, _she thought, tears building up in her eyes and streaming down her bloodied cheeks. She struggled to keep from sobbing aloud, but she couldn't control the faint whimper that escaped passed her lips.

The footsteps were getting closer now, almost reaching her door. Sarah's shoulders shook as she silently pleaded for help. But she knew no one was coming. Everyone was dead.

The footsteps were clumsy, as though the person walking didn't know how to use their legs. Sounds of hands slamming against lockers and doors made Sarah freeze up. It was getting closer now.

As she sat on the floor, shoes appeared in the crack of the doorway. Boots—that were covered in blood and entrails from slaughtered victims—paused, and Sarah held both hands to her lips to squelch the scream rising from her chest.

_It knows I'm here. Oh, God, I'm going to die. _The heavy breathing from the creature standing outside the door suddenly quieted.

All of a sudden, the door was smashed in, splinters of old wood flying everywhere. Sarah screamed as a decomposed hand covered in what looked like brain matter grabbed her arm tightly and dragged her across the sticky floor.

Her arm bruised from the vice like grip that held it, Sarah struggled, the creature's long nails dug into her skin, almost piercing it.

She sobbed, kicking at the creature's jean clad legs, bringing her foot back and ramming it into its ribs. The thing grunted and was pushed back, tearing the soft flesh from her arms in an attempt to keep hold of her.

Seeing her opening, Sarah scrambled to her feet and took off running. She sped down the corridor, her feet sliding on the littered organs of her classmates. Nearing the stairs, Sarah ran faster, almost making it to the railing before she tripped. Sprawled on the floor, she looked back, seeing the glassy, dead eyes of Jennifer. Her best friend.

Sarah stared at the lifeless body, taking note of her ripped open stomach and shredded skull. The stench hit her then, the smell of decomposing flesh. She turned to the side and vomited.

Sobbing softly, Sarah slowly dragged herself to Jennifer's broken body. She stared into the eyes of her closest friend, her sister, and gently dragged her palm across the lids. She would look peaceful as she passed.

Standing up, Sarah headed for the stairs again. Gripping the railing tightly, she ignored the sticky warm wetness of blood smearing against her palm, and started down the concrete steps, counting the many disfigured bodies she passed.

She had to find someone, anyone, just to make sure she wasn't the only survivor. She had seen many things while living in Gotham, many crimes, but never something as big as this.

Never something as gruesome.

But where was help? There were over hundreds of people in Gotham. Where were the police, the military?

Where was Batman?

They said he was an urban legend. A story made up, a rumor, that a Dark Knight roamed the streets of Gotham, protecting the innocent while instilling the fear of God into the criminals. If that was all there was to it, then who was the savior of Gotham? The prince? Sarah knew he was real, she had seen him with her very own eyes, had felt the tough Kevlar armor he donned. She had seen the scowling expression on his cowled face when he saved her mother from certain death.

_But it all might be for nothing, _she thought bitterly. Her mother, her whole family could already be dead, or even worse, infected. That's how this whole thing started. Someone messed with human nature, tried to change it, created this whole mess and spread the virus throughout the world.

From what she had heard on the news, the infection spread incredibly fast. Not only two days had passed before half the United States' population had already lost their lives to the disease. So far, no cure had been found and Sarah wasn't even sure if there was anyone left for research.

She finally left the stairwell, making her way to the thick glass doors at the front of the school. Hopefully she would be able to make it home before nightfall. She did not want to walk to her house in the dark, alone, when the creatures were shrouded in the shadows and waiting until the right opportunity to strike.

Pushing open the front doors, Sarah ran onto the sidewalk, freezing in her tracks at the site in front of her.

There was so much blood. It pooled on the ground, dripped down the walls and stained the hands and mouths of the creatures walking around. Dark clouds formed in the sky and a light drizzle began to fall, washing away the dark red stains splattered on the walls.

But it wasn't the mutilated bodies lying in the sidewalks with flies buzzing around them, or even the creatures by the benches that were ripping into the stomach of a teacher that shocked her. Rather, it was the man clad in a dark, armored suit and a scowling cowl that covered his face, swinging a sword around as if it was an extension of his arm that caused her to stop and stare in astonishment.

The blade of the sword was covered in blood, along with the nasty white fluid that dripped down the edge. Creatures, attracted by the sound and smell of new prey, tried to swiftly scramble to Batman, only to be cut down.

He swung the blade quickly, piercing the head of one creature, before yanking the blade out and slicing through the neck of another one, severing its head and causing a waterfall of thick black blood to spray from the wound.

The bodies continued to drop as Batman fought, and all Sarah could do was watch in awe at how efficiently he slew the flesh eating creatures. So focused on him was she, that Sarah didn't notice one creature amble away from the fight and toward her.

It wobbled toward her, its arms stretched out and itching to tear into the soft, tender skin of the prey in front of it. Before the creature could touch her however, the was a soft slicing sound that was heard briefly before an arrow was lodged in the skull of the flesh-eater.

Jumping in fright, Sarah turned and stared wide-eyed at the bloody shaft of the arrow sticking out of the creatures head behind her. Black blood started pooling under the severed skull and dripped into the sewer drain in the street.

She followed the path the arrow came from, and spotted a woman holding a bow in her hand, along with a quiver attached to her back. Slender hands covered in black leather gloves quickly notched another arrow in the bow and pulled back the bow sting, letting the sharp projectile fly and pierce the head of the creature behind Batman. The arrow hit its mark, and the decomposed body hit the concrete with a hard thud.

The woman was beautiful, stunningly so, and she looked very familiar. She had long ebony hair was pulled back into a tight braid, tan skin and electric blue eyes with full ruby lips. Not to mention her tall, slender body that was covered in a red corset top and tight black pants and boots. A leather jacket covered her arms and shoulders, while also hiding the sword and golden lasso strapped to her waist.

Batman finally took down the last of the creatures, chopping off its arms and then severing its head before using the hilt of his sword to push the falling body away. He fell from his stance and flicked his wrist to shake off the blood that had accumulated on the blade.

The woman slung her bow over her shoulder and walked over to him, planting a hand on his shoulder and offering a scabbard. He took it quickly before sliding the sword inside and slinging it over his back, under his cape. He then turned to Sarah and stared hard at her, before starting to march towards her.

It was hard to show he wasn't scaring her, even though on the inside she felt ready to burst into to tears and shit her pants. At the same time. Whether that was from the creatures or Batman, Sarah wasn't sure. All she knew was that she had to find her family and maybe this Dark Knight could help her.

_Or maybe not_, she thought, as the woman that was standing next to Batman tried to calm him down as he made his way toward her. She automatically jerked back when he got close, before he reached for her arm and yanked her to him.

Sarah cried out as Batman's grip scraped her wounds, the rough material of his gloves pulling on the broken skin that had been torn off. He twisted her arm to get a better look at the slashes, the white slits in his cowl narrowing as he gazed at the blood still oozing from her. Sarah stared at his face, not understanding why the woman next to Batman stared at the wounds before looking sympathetically towards her.

Batman spoke, "We need to get her to the Watchtower, immediately." The woman nodded and put her gloved hand to her ear, pressing down on a device and speaking quietly.

"J'onn, we need three for transport," she said her voice strong but tinged with a hint of sadness. For what, Sarah didn't know and she didn't care too. Right now, she needed to find her family, and if these two wouldn't help her, she'd just need to go on her own. Though how she would find them without getting killed herself, she wished she knew, but she had to try.

As the woman continued to talk into the small device, Batman let go of her arm and reached into his utility belt, taking out a roll of gauze and tube of disinfectant cream. Sarah remained quiet as he opened the tube and rubbed the cream all over the cuts, keeping her mouth shut even as her arm started to burn and itch. He then proceeded to wrap her arm tightly in gauze, red stains beginning to appear as he rolled the cloth around it.

"When we get to the watchtower, you will follow Diana and I to the infirmary. You will not make a sound until we are safely within the med center, am I understood?" Batman asked, putting away the cream and gauze before staring hard at her. The slightly glowing white eyes of his cowl burned as they gazed at her, and without even thinking, she nodded her head.

He narrowed his eyes slightly, before turning to Diana. She had just finished talking and was currently counting the bodies that littered the sidewalks.

"How many?" Batman asked roughly. Diana sighed and ran her gloved hand through her hair.

"Too many to count. But I'd say about 37 bodies, not including the ones in the school." She brought her gaze from the ground to Sarah's, and her ice blue eyes searched her own brown ones, looking for something that Sarah didn't know was there.

Batman's voice ripped Diana's gaze away from her, and Sarah let out the breath she'd been holding. God, could these superheroes be even more intimidating if they'd tried?

"How long until transport?"

Diana answered, "Two minutes. She's not the only survivor."

They both glanced at her again, watching as she started to scratch the skin on her arm not covered in gauze. Dried blood coated her hands and under her fingernails and the burning sensation from what Sarah thought was the cream became even more pronounced.

Her breathing grew labored as she felt an enormous pressure on her chest and the feeling of bile rising into her throat. She tried to keep it down, but the hot bitter taste of vomit pervaded her mouth and she fell to her knees, releasing the contents of her stomach.

Batman and Diana stood there silently as the girl heaved violently before them. They tensed when she started vomiting blood, mixed with a black sludge.

"She doesn't have much time," Diana said, her hand straying to her bow as Sarah grew quiet. The girl shuddered and raised her head, the whites of her eyes stained red from the vessels that had broken from her violent sickness. She sniffed and tears started streaming down her cheeks, before unsteadily climbing to her feet.

She stood as tall as she could and looked them both in the eyes as she asked, "What's happening to me?"

Batman and Diana looked to each other before Batman said, "We'll explain everything on the Watchtower."

Sarah nodded and watched curiously as Diana received a transmission and pressed her fingers to her ear once again.

"What is it, J'onn?" She asked. She listened intently as the person on the other line spoke, closing her eyes as she sighed disappointedly. Batman had turned to her, watching Diana converse on the line before turning back to her.

"Here," he said, pulling a piece of cloth out of the many storage pouches on his utility belt, "clean yourself up." Sarah took the cloth and wiped her mouth, the white fabric of the kerchief coming back a deep red. She continued to clean herself as Diana finished her conversation.

"Yes, I understand. We'll just have to think of something else," Diana replied into the microphone. She glanced to Batman, before turning her back on both of them. Sarah brought the handkerchief to her mouth as she violently coughed, her throat burning and bringing up a thick liquid. She spat, blood and saliva pooling in her mouth. Her arm burned and itched terribly, and it was all Sarah could do not rip the bandages off her arm and scratch her wounds.

Diana turned back, glancing at Sarah before stepping closer to Batman. "What's wrong?" He asked, seeing the crease between her eyebrows. Diana didn't take her eyes off the girl, her hand unconsciously straying towards her lasso.

"The transporters malfunctioned," she explained. "No one has been able to reach the Watchtower in the last three hours." Batman scowled. This was not good. The girl was already infected and changing fast. She would change in an hour, at most, and Batman didn't want to be there when she did. He would have much preferred to take her to the med bay in the 'Tower and study the change, but that obviously wasn't going to happen.

That left one other option.

The skies opened up; releasing the water they held, drenching everything in sight. Water rolled down his cape, pooling on the ground by his feet. Diana's hair was matted down, the rain pouring over her jacket.

"What do you want to do?" She asked. Her blue eyes stared at him, waiting for his instruction without question. She trusted his judgment more than anyone else in the league. Batman looked up toward the skies, the rain hitting his cowl.

He spoke, "We'll take her to the cave. I can perform my tests there. But she'll need to be in quarantine. I can't trust that she won't infect everyone there." Diana nodded, before turning to the girl. She was looking down the street longingly, hopelessly searching for something. She felt Diana's stare on her, and glanced at her. Diana moved toward her, before speaking softly. "There's been a change of plans. We won't be going to the Watchtower."

Sarah nodded, glancing back at the street that she used to live on. She didn't know what was going on, but Batman saved her mother's life. She couldn't help but trust him. And right now, he was her only hope for survival.


End file.
